This invention relates generally to headwear and, in particular, to baseball caps. It is one purpose of the invention to provide a modified baseball cap that can be used as a glove to catch baseballs. The cap of this invention is intended especially for baseball fans who can use it to catch foul balls or home runs hit into the stands.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,615,168, 4,165,542, 4,312,076, and 4,386,437 all relate to hats or sport caps having pockets in the crown for the storage of small articles such as keys, coins, licenses, etc. U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,204 discloses a helmet containing a fish landing net and U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,363 shows a cap having a pocket containing a coolant. None of these suggest use of headwear as a baseball glove or even as glove means.
In preferred form, the invention uses a baseball cap that is available on the open market. A flexible, fabric web is inserted inside the crown of the cap and suitably secured to the cap body. The web is preferably large enough to serve as a liner for the cap and preferably padded to serve as a baseball glove. The user's hand can be inserted through the usual headsize adjustment opening at the rear of the cap so that it is between the padded portion (where the palm of the user's hand will be) and the upper crown. In this hand position, the cap has been converted into a baseball glove and can be employed by the user to catch a baseball.